“I am grateful.” she croaked.
“Spare methat.” he replied with an exaggerated wince. “Does my proposal suit you, Miss Bennet?”
“Very much.”
“Good. Then let us begin. Come to the lakes with me, Elizabeth. We can become better acquainted - and I promise not to seduce you.”
She blushed brick red and pulled her hand away.
Darcy smiled and added slyly, “However, I cannot promise I will not… what was it? ‘Treat and spoil’ you? You are Mrs. Darcy to the rest of the world, and I would have you looking the part. Starting with this.” he reached into his pocket and took out a small box, wrapped in a piece of silk. When Elizabeth unwrapped it, she saw that the fabric was itself a present: a dainty handkerchief embroidered with the letter ‘E’ and a pair of creamy wings.
“I could not resist.” Darcy teased, then gestured impatiently to the box. Pulling a teasing face (for she had always found openinggifts in front of others rather awkward), Elizabeth unlatched the box to see a beautiful silver necklace. It was finer than anything she had ever worn before. The filigree vines around the pendant were almost spiderweb thin, and the stone in the centre of the leaf was a deep and luscious green.
“You shall have a dress to match it, of course.”
“Of… of course.” she managed and laughed shakily. “Please put it back into your pocket, sir. I am afraid that I will lose it.”
“I can do better than that.” he replied, holding his hand out. Elizabeth dutifully returned the box, only understanding his meaning when he moved to stand beside her. Gesturing for her to turn, he gently fastened the silver chain around her neck.
His warm hands brushed away the hair at the nape of her neck. He leaned closer to secure the clasp, and for a moment Elizabeth felt his breath on her skin. A tingling feeling lingered there long after he moved back away. She raised her hand to her throat without thinking and met his eyes.
Darcy smiled at her. Elizabeth looked away before she lost herself in his eyes entirely.
He does not need to seduce me.She thought unbidden. The warm tingling on her skin spread to her belly, and she wrapped her arms around herself.I think I am already his.
Chapter 12
Elizabeth knew Mr. Darcy a little better after four weeks in the lakes.
Certainly, she learned a lot about his generosity. She could not express a wish without it being granted, nor dislike something without it being changed. At first, she was embarrassed by such attention, but soon she understood how effortless the gestures were to him. Darcy had a vast fortune, and she was not demanding. He would certainly not think twice about spending a few shillings here and there. Elizabeth feared he would have spent a great dealmorewithout resenting her, but she didn’t want to risk it. She learned not to make offhanded comments, but never mastered the trick of refusing his gifts without causing offence.
Still, some of his gifts were breathtaking. Having no notion of what she liked, he had spent the weeks before their wedding (when the banns were read) commissioning an eclectic chest full of beautiful and useful things to tempt her with.
Darcy was amused to watch his wife’s reactions, for they were never what he expected. Elizabeth exclaimed more over a neat little embroidery set in a walnut box than she had over an expensive Indian shawl. She wore the shawl to dinner, of course,but spent the evening asking him where he had found such sharp needles, cunning thimbles and bright silks. It gave Darcy a chance to speak about his sister and the strange little animals she used to hide in her sewing.
Elizabeth never asked about Georgiana’s sickness. Darcy appreciated that. There would be plenty of time for her to find out about that when they got to Pemberley. While they were in Windermere, Kendal or Keswick, that world seemed blissfully far away. In his quest to make his new bride happy, Darcy had given himself an excuse to ignore his worries… at least for a few months.
Sometimes he thought about going home. It made him feel sick. Generally, after such reflections, he sent his servants to find lodgings for them in another town. Two weeks became three, and then four, with no real thought of going home.
It was a comforting month, and one he sorely needed.
Even thought it was the height of summer, the Darcys decided to walk around the lakes without servants. Mr. Darcy easily carried their water and helped Elizabeth to climb the steeper paths with no sign of weariness. If she had not been constrained by her long skirts and old boots (chosen for their fashion, as the paths around Meryton presented no challenges) then Lizzie knew she could have kept up with him easily.
The day after she had teased her husband with this comparison, a cobbler came to their hotel and measured her for a pair of rugged walking boots (which managed to be far more flattering despite their sturdiness, as once again Mr. Darcy spared no expense). The boots were tested a few days later, and Mr. Darcy found that his wife was astonishingly hale and could outpace him with ease. Their walks turned into playful competitions tobe the first one to the next rise, or to dare an icy ford to cross a stream.
“I told you I liked walking.” Elizabeth said after this one, shaking water from her feet. “Perhaps I should have said, ‘not swimming’!”
“Can you swim, Elizabeth?”
“I imagine so, if you can. Perhaps we can try it one day.” she said, pushing her curls back from her cheek and unconsciously leaving a silver trail of river water. Darcy grinned.
“There is a lake on my estate, but I do not think any of the ladies have ever dared to swim in it. If you wish to learn, Miss Bennet, I will gladly teach you - but it may raise a few eyebrows!”
“Let them raise.” she retorted, “I am your wife, not theirs.”
“A fact that pleases me greatly.” he replied, offering his hand to help her climb up the slippery bank.
Elizabeth had reached out to take it, but blushed scarlet at his words and drew back. The look she gave him was not hostile; after her first shock, she cautiously reached out her hand a second time. When he took it, Darcy felt the pulse thudding beneath her skin.
